Show case rotating display rack



., A. VANDERVELD SHOW CASE ROTATING DISPLAY RACK Filed De oal5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

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A. VANDERVELD SHOW CASE ROTATING DISPLAY RACK Y Filed Dec. 15, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Oct. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTHONY VANDERVELD, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GRAND RAPIDS SHOW CASE COMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORA- TION OF MICHIGAN.

SI-I OW CASE ROTATING DISPLAY RACK.

Application filed December 15, 1924. Serial No. 755,860.

rack is mounted for movement bodily forward to a position at the front of the case, at which position it can be turned or rotated so that either rod, carrying a line of garments, may be presented to the front for display and inspection, or removal of the garments. V

In constructions of this kind it is necessary, in order to prevent destructive engagement of the ends of the rack rods with the back of the case, that the rack shall be held from. rotation when it is within the case or at any position except extreme front position; and it is necessary that the holding means shall become ineffective when the rack has reached its extreme front position so that the rack can be rotated. It is also necessary, when the rack has been rotated after it has reached extreme front position, that it shall be locked against any bodily movement rearward into the case or wardrobe, this being particularly true of glass showcases, as such bodily movement, whenthe rack has been rotated, would cause the inner ends of the garment holding rods to strike against, break and pass through the back of the show case.

The present invention is directed to im provements over the construction shown in my Patent No. 1,113,386, issued October 13, 1914; relating to the same general subject matter. This invention, while securing all of the advantages set forth in the patent aforesaid, has also other advantages of simplicity of construction and of reliability in action particularly with respect to the means used for effecting the locking of the rack against rotation when at any other position except extreme front position and also looking the rack from rearward bodily movement at any time that the rack is rotated or when the arment holding rods are away from a position parallel to the back of the case.

reference maybe had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the rack, the show case in which it is installed being shown in horizontal section with the floor thereof removed, the rack being shown in full lines and partially rotated at its front position in the case and being indicated in dotted lines in the position which it occupies when within the case. I

Fig. 2 is a vertical section centrally of the show case and of the rack located therein.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view with parts broken away and in section, illustrating the locking of the rack carriage when at its front position, this locking being against rearward bodily movement of the rack and accomplished by a rotation of the rack from normal position, and v Fig. 4 is a similar plan view illustrating the position of the parts of the mechanism which hold the rack against rotative movement when within the case or in at any position except extreme front position.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The show case, indicated at 1, includes a op 2, ends 3 and back 4 of glass. As shown in the drawings the front of the show case is open, but this is adapted to be closed by suitable doors, which are not shown, so as to permit opening of the show case for access thereto. The bottom 5 of the show case rests on the floor of the store in which it is installed and a short distance above the same a floor 6 is secured horizontally and paralleling the bottom. I Between said bottom 5 and the floor 6 the supporting oarriage for movably carrying the rotating by spot-welding, riveting or in other suitable manner. Rollers 9 on-the-endsof shafts or axles 10 are designed to traverse the channels 7, said rollers and the shafts or axles therefor being disposed below and serving'to carry the frame 10 of'the carriage 1.1 which is of theform and structure shown.

Adjacent the front portion of the carriage frame 11 a pedestal issecu-red including a base 12 which is bolted to the frame from which a tube 13 :eXtends vertically somewhat more than half way to the top 2 of the show case. A rod 1 iextends downwardly through the tube 13 and :the base 12. at its lower end having a circular disk 15 rigidly attached in diametrically opposed sides of .which substantially semicircular recesses 15 are made. In the lower end of the rod l ta hardened pin 15 is fixed, its lower end bearing :against a hardened plate 17 which is located in a suitable rec ss in the upper side of the carriage frame 11. This permits a substantially frictionless turning of the rod 14 :and the rack carried at the upper end thereof.

At the upper end of the rod 14 and ibove the tube 13 .a garment holding rack is secured including a head 18 fixed to the rod 14: from which arms 19 extend in opposition to each other. Two rods 20 are fastened to the ends of the arms 1-9 one at each side of the head. These rods are thus spaced apart and are located parallel to each other. The rods are spaced a distance sullicient that garments held on the usual garment hangers may 'be suspended from the rods and not interfere with each other; and when the carriage is at its rearmostposition in the case and the rods parallel to the back of the case, the case is substantially filled with the garments held on the rods. In order to permit the passage of the base 12, which extends through the floor 6 in the bodily movement of the rack toward and from the front of the case. a slot 21 is cut in said floor 6 which the base 12 may traverse in its movements.

On the carriage frame 11 at one side of and a short distance in front of the rod M a bell crank lever is pivotally mounted at 22. This lever has an arm 23 normally e2;- tcnding directly back from the pivot 22, at its free end equipped with a roller 2i which is adapted to seat in either of the recesses 15 of disk 15. The other arm 25.,of the bell cranl: lever extends outwardly substantially at right angles to the arm .13. A link 26 is pivctally connected at one end to the arm between its ends and together ith second SLlPQllHlPOSQCl link 27 is pi'votally connected to one end ofa short link 28 which, at its opposite end, is pivotally connected to the carriage frame 11", as best'shown in Figs. 3 and 4:. The linlr 26 extends over the arm and at its free end a; strong coiled spring 29 is secured at one end, the opposite end of said spring being secured to the relatively stationary carriage frame 11-.

Near the free end of the arm of the bell crank lever a roller 30 is mounted which is in engagement with a locking 'i'nein'be'r 3i pivotally mounted at 32 on the carriage frame. The locking member 31 is'ofirregie lar shape and has a suitably formed recess 33 on its inner side in which the roller 30 may seat; and in front of said recess is formed with an inner edge 34 slightly curved against which 'the roller 30 bears in certain positions of the rotatable rack. The locking member 31 is formed with a projecting portion extending inwardly from the pivot 32 between which and the carriage frame .11 a coiled spring 35 of less strength than the spring 29 is interpesedythe ten dency of the spring being to turn the loci:- 111g member inwardly about its .pirot At its outer edge the locking member 31 is formed with two spaced apart p'rojections a finger 36 augaoent the front end of the member, and a hook 3! adjacent its rear end,

'there being an elongated recess between This locking member is them, shown. mounted so that the linger 36 normally proj e'cts partly over the adjacentitrackincinher 7 and the hook 37 projects entirely over said track member and partly over the as sociated re-i-nforcing member 8. Near the front end of said member 8a short length of angle iron 38 is permanently secured of a length that it may pass between linger and hook 8-7 and having one leg thereof extending vertically.

lVhen the rack is located 'ithin the show case the roller 24;, carried by the bell crank lever. is seated in one or the other of the recesses 15 of disk 15 as shown in Fig. 4, and the roller 30 is seated in the recess Any attempt to rotate the rack when in such position is insured against because of the locking action of the roller 30 against the forward side of the recess 83. lVhen the rack is moved to extreme front position the finger 36 passes by the upwardly pro ecterr ing leg of the member 38 but'l'iool; 3T gages against the rear edge thereof turn the locking member 81 from the pos'tlon shown in Fig. dto that shown in h 3-. This releases the roller 30 from the reeess and the rack may then be rotated; The rotation of the rack forces roller 2f out of the recess. 15 in which it has been se atet; the bell crank lever turning about its pivot 22 and movingthe'rollcr at) over the curved edge 34 of the locking member.- This post tion of the parts is shown in Fig. 3 and it will be noted that when so. positioned the member 38 is disposed between finger 36 and hook 37, absolutely insuring against any rearward movement of the carriage until such time as the rack has been moved sothat its rods are parallel to the back of the case, in which position the roller 2 seats in a recess 15 of disk 15 and roller is moved back so that it comes into conjunction with the recess 33 in the pivotally mounted locking member 31. Spring normally turns the locking member to free the finger 36 from the part 38 and the rack may then be moved back into the case with the garment holding rods 20 disposed parallel to the back of the case.

The spring 29 acting through links 26, 27 and 28 holds the roller 24 yieldingly in a recess 15 with a considerable force. lVhen the rack has been moved to the front of the case and then rotated the movement of the bell crank lever induced by such rotation carried these links from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 3; and while the direct pulling force of the spring 29 is increased the moment arm, to which this force is applied, has been considerably shortened. In the position of the part shown in Fig. 4 this moment arm is substantially the full length of the link 28 or at least the distance between the centers of its pivot points. In Fig. 3 this moment arm has been decreased due to the change of position of the link 28 relative to the line of force of the spring 29 and the force of pressure of roller 20 against the edge of the disk 15 is less than its force of pressure against the disk when seated in a recess 15*. This is a desirable feature in devices of this type and is attained with the structure shown and described in my patent to which reference has heretofore been made. The decreased force of the roller against the edges of the disk 15 obviate any destructive cutting of the edges of the disk or of the periphery of the roller without requiring that either member be hardened to withstand the service to which it is subjected.

The construction shown and described is a complete and practically operative embodiment of my invention and one which has proved fully satisfactory in every respect in practice. Various modifications in the detail of the specific structure may be resorted to without departing from the invention which is defined in the claims ap pended hereto, and it is to be considered that the invention is comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within the scope of such claims.

I claim 1. In a device of the character described, spaced apart tracks, a carriage mounted to move back and forth on said tracks, a rack rotatably mounted on and carried by the carriage, a disk connected to and rotatable with the rack having recesses in its edges, a lever mounted adjacent the disk and having means at one end adapted to engage said recesses in the disk, a spring acting on the lever to force said means against the disk, a locking member pivotally connected to and movable with the carriage at one side thereof, a second means carried by the lever engaging against' the inner edge of said locking member, said locking member having a recess to receive said second means when said first means on the lever is engaged in a recess in the disk, said locking member at its outer edge having a spaced apart finger and hook projecting therefrom, and a rigid member connected to one of said tracks near one end thereof by which said finger is adapted to move and against which the hook is adapted to engage to move the locking member automatically into position to release said lever, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a carriage mounted for reciprocatory move ments, a rack mounted for rotation on the carriage, a disk connected to and rotatable with the rack, said diskhaving diametrically opposed recesses in its edges, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on the carriage, a roller at one end of the inner arm of said lever adapted to engage in a recess in the disk or ride on the edges of said disk, a spring associated with the lever for holding said roller against the disk, .a second roller mounted adjacent the free end of the other arm of the lever, a locking member pivotally mounted on the carriage formed at its inner edge with a recess to receive the second roller and having an edge portion in front of the recess against which said roller may ride when out of the recess, a spring con nected with the locking member tending to turn the same toward the lever, said locking member at its outer edge being formed with a finger at its front portion and a hook adjacent its rear portion, and a rigid member located near one end of the path of movement of the carriage by which said finger may pass but against which said hook engages to thereby turn the locking member to release the second roller on the bell crank lever from said recess in the locking member and free the disk and attached rack for rotation.

3. In combination, a carriage mounted for horizontal reciprocatory movements, a rack rotatably mounted on the carriage, a disk secured to and rotatable with the rack located directly over the carriage, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on the car-.

riage having a rearwardly extending arm and an outwardly extending arm, a roller mounted at the end of the rearwardly extending arm, said disk having diametrically opposed recesses in which the roller may seat, a second roller mounted adjacent the end of the outwardly extending arm, a link connected to the outwardly extending arm between the rollers and extending forwardly therefrom, a second link pivotally concarriage at the end of the outwardly extendin." arm ot the bell crank lever, having recess at its inner edge to receive the second roller, a spring acting on the locking member to turn the same inwardly toward said second roller, and tixed means against which the locking member engages when the carriage is moved to extreme position in one direction for turning the locking member outwardly about its pivot to disengage the same from-the second roller, substantially as described.

4-. In combination, a carriage for reciprocation in a horizontal plane, a rack mounted above the carriage it'or rotation in a horizontal plane, a disk connected to the rack and rotatable therewith locat =:l inn'nediately above the carriage, said having recesses in opposite sides, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted m oun ted on the ri-age and including a rearwardly ing arm and an outwardly extendin arm, a roller on the end of the rearward. extending arm to bear against the disk or seat in a recess thereof, spring actuated means connected with the outwardly extending arm of the lever for holding the roller against the disk or in said recesses, said means including elements whereby the pres sure of the roller against the disk is less than the pressure thereof against the edges of the recesses, a pivotally mounted locking member mounted adjacent the end of said outwardly extending arm of the lever, inter-engaging means between said loc ing member and outwardly extending arm for normally locking the lever against movement about its pivot, spring means normally holding the locking member in engagement with said interengaging means on the arm olthe lever, and means for automatically moving the locking member 'to moperative position on movement of the carriage to its extreme tion.

In combination, a carriage mounted for reciprocatory movements in a horizontal plane, a pedestal extending upwardly from the carriage, a rod extending through the pedestal, a rack fixed at the upper end of the rod, a disk having recesses in opposite sidcs tixed at the lower end of the rod, said disk being located over the upper side of the carriage, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on the carriage having a rearwardly extending arm and an outwardly extending arm, a roller at the rear end of the rearwardly extending arm to bear against the disk or seat in a recess thereof, a second roller mounted on the outwardly extending arm adjacent its tree end, spring actuated means connected with said outwardly "extending arm including devices for causing the first roller to bear against the edges of the disk with less pressure than it bears against the edges of a recess in the disk, a locl-zing member pivotaljly mounted on the carriage adjacent the iree end of said out.- ward y extending arm of the lever, said locking member having a recess in its inner edge and a curved forwardly extending edge portion in frontof the recesses ant also having a front outwardly extending linger and a rear outwardly extending hook at its outer edge, spring means acting on the locking member to turn the same inward y toward said second roller, tracks supporting the carriage and a fixed member connectet with one of the tracks against which said hook strikes on movement of the carriage to its extreme position in one direction, thereby turning the locking member about its pivot and causing said fixed memher to be positioned between said finger and hook, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I my signa ture.

position in one direc- A NTHONY VANDERVELD. 

